FBI LEGAL TECHNICIAN PLEADS GUILTY TO
UNLAWFULLY ACCESSING THE FBI’S COMPUTER SYSTEM

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Assistant Attorney General Christopher A. Wray of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Roscoe C. Howard of the District of Columbia announced today that Narissa Smalls, a legal technician in FBI Headquarters, has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from her unlawful access of the FBI’s Automated Case Support (ACS) computer system.

Smalls, 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty this morning before Judge Gladys Kessler of the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to accessing a computer system without authorization, in furtherance of another criminal act. Smalls resigned from the FBI as part of her plea agreement.

Smalls was assigned to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Unit in FBI Headquarters, and her duties included searching ACS for information in response to FOIA requests and for other administrative purposes. Smalls admitted that between September 2002 and November 2002, she conducted several searches in ACS for information regarding individuals who were subjects of ongoing drug investigations in the FBI’s Washington Field Office. In one instance, she printed out the information and took it to her residence. Smalls admitted she then shared the results of her ACS searches with individuals who were associated with the subjects of the FBI’s drug investigations.

Smalls faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing, scheduled for Feb. 26, 2004.

The case was investigated by the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Acting Deputy Chief Raymond Hulser of the Public Integrity Section of the United States Department of Justice, headed by Section Chief Noel Hillman, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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